Alien vs. Predator
Alien vs. Predator is one of the three pinball tables in the Aliens vs. Pinball mini table pack, released in 2016 and available for Zen Pinball 2, Pinball FX 2 and Pinball FX 3. It is based on the premise and setting of the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator and exclusively follows the journey of a Predator who undergoes a rite of passage to become a skilled, seasoned warrior and Alien hunter. Table overview The upper half of the table The table's cabinet frame is constructed out of stone walls taken from the interior of the Predator pyramid as it was seen in the film, although the back end of the table is made out of frozen ice to represent its Antarctic location. A large scale model of the pyramid itself takes up much of the back end of the table, studded with four revolving towers with mysterious glyphs engraved on the four sides of each tower. The pyramid also has a large staircase running down its front side, which also serves as an exit ramp that returns the ball back to the playfield. In front of this pyramid, there is a large orbit that can be traversed if it is shot counter-clockwise, but not the other way around, as a tension spring gate at the right orbit instead diverts a clockwise shot down a branching lane that forms a mini-orbit. A mini-flipper lines the right wall of this diverting lane, and a flag marked with red Predator glyphs gates the left orbit. Besides each entrance to the orbit is a ramp. The left ramp leads to a habitrail that makes a U-turn loop and travels down to the leftmost inlane, while the right ramp splits into three different habitrail paths: a short looping turn that drops the ball down the mini-orbit for easy access to the mini-flipper, a middle habitrail that takes the ball down to the rightmost inlane and a shorter curving habitrail that directly drops the ball into the bumper area beneath the looping left ramp. Balls that pass through the bumper area drop into a sinkhole that directs the ball down the left habitrail. To the right of the left ramp, there is a collapsible barrier with two targets shaped like some of the carvings in the pyramid walls. Behind this barrier is a sinkhole with a toy figure of a Xenomorph emerging from it, which can catch the ball and drag it inside to start missions. To the right of the Xenomorph sinkhole is another sinkhole that also functions as a vertical up-kicker that can pop the ball into the right habitrail leading to the rightmost inlane, the middle route of the right ramp. Besides that hole is another lane that briefly leads into a rotating turntable containing a curved passageway. Every time that lane is shot, the turntable rotates, causing the ball to travel to a different place every time that lane is used. Possible routes that the turntable can take the ball are 1) directly into the bumper area (default), 2) back down the diverting mini-orbit where the mini-flipper can be accessed or 3) into a saucer that traps the ball and sends it either inside the Pyramid, or down the left habitrail. Between this lane and the mini-orbit lane, there is a Predator wrist blade with its tips being a target the ball can hit. In front of this weapon is a pile of human skulls. In front of the middle sinkhole and the three lanes to the right of it, there is a pop-up drop target representing the humans intruding the pyramid. They may glow green to indicate allies, or red to indicate targets. The lower half of the table and mini-playfield Two rows of Xenomorph drop targets can pop up and move sideways in front the left orbit, left ramp and the barrier targets. A figure of a Predator stands at the left side of the table, and in front of him are two magnetic saucers that can be locked for Egg Crasher/Destroyer Multiball. A Xenomorph stands at the opposite side of the table, near the entry of the right orbit. There is a small, circular mini-playfield beneath the main playfield, typically accessed through the bumper area's exit sinkhole. The walls of this mini-playfield contain several holes where the ball can pop out and in the middle of the mini-playfield there is a circular device that can be rotated with the flipper buttons, also containing holes across its fringe that are used to catch the ball when it pops out of holes in the inside wall of the mini-playfield. Balls that are not caught by the device eventually roll down to a exit sinkhole. Each hole in the mini-playfield wall contains a lamp that will briefly flash to provide a telltale indication that a ball will pop out of there. The bottom of the table features six return lanes that spell the word YAUTJA, the name of the Predator species, with four inlanes, two for each side. A Predator shuriken sits on the left rebound and score multiplier indicators stud the top of the walls that separate the slanted portions of the inlanes and outlanes. The left apron contains a 3-D hologram providing a detailed map of the pyramid, while a flashlight and three unhatched Xenomorph eggs appear on the right apron. Two digital counters marking how many allies were gathered and how many hunting trophies were collected from kills also appear on the left apron. The plunger The plunger is shaped like the head of a Xenomorph. It spits out the ball up a shaft that drops the ball into the table's large orbit. Depending on how strong the shot was, the player must execute a flipper-assisted skill shot by shooting either the left lanes after a medium-weak shot or the right lanes after a strong shot. After a successful skill shot, the player is also given an opportunity to perform a Super Skill Shot by hitting the Xenomorph at the mission sinkhole, which can only be possible if certain lanes are shot during the skill shot. Objective and Missions The goal of the table is to help a young Predator undergo a series of trials and a rite of passage to prove himself as a capable warrior who can take part in the Predators' traditional hunts of Aliens across various planets they visit, through five missions. To start a mission, the player must hit the Xenomorph at the mission sinkhole in front of the bumper area at least twice, with the number of hits needed increasing for each mission attempted and resetting back to 2 when the ball is drained. Once the Xenomorph is hit enough times, it will capture the ball and drag it inside its hole and the player can choose to start which of the five missions that were not previously attempted. Each mission, once attempted, cannot be played again until the Wizard Mode is completed. The following 5 missions must be attempted to access the Wizard Mode: * Armed and Ready: In the film, Charles Weyland's exploration team discover and steal Predator weapons inside the pyramid, giving the hunted Aliens a chance to rise up and overpower the Predators they have been pitted against in their hunting rituals. After the Predators slaughter much of the team for taking the weapons, the remaining survivors agree to give them back so that they can prevent their Hunts from tumbling out of control. The player must help the Predator retrieve three signature weapons: a shuriken, a spear and a plasma caster. The player helps the Predator retrieve the first two weapons by shooting different lanes, but can easily find the correct lane to shoot by hitting the left glyph target in the barrier. This must be done twice for each weapon. The final weapon, the plasma caster, must be taken from members of the exploration team, appearing as red drop targets that block lanes at the right half of the table and the middle sinkhole that need to be hit. To easily deduce which one has the caster, the player can hit the wrist blade target to activate thermal vision and show the enemy that must be hit to take the weapon and finish the mission. * Vertigo: Shortly after Alexa Woods, the last surviving member of the team, agrees to partner with the last surviving Predator who can conduct the Hunt, Scar, the two spot Xenomorphs crawling across the walls of a pyramid hallway high above the floor. The player helps the Predator shoot down six Aliens above by shooting lit lanes, one for each enemy, while the table is turned upside down within a time limit. To compensate for this unorthodox perspective, the ball saver will remain permanently on for the duration of the mission. * Camouflauge: A Predator is most effective at hunting when his adversaries can't see him, oblivious to his unexpected attacks. This is made possible with a cloaking device that makes him impossible to see to the human eye, but it unexpectedly malfunctions when this particular Predator needs it most. The player helps the Predator repair, recalibrate and test it by shooting lit lanes. However, with each correct lane hit, the ball and flippers become harder to see, and as more lanes are shot, human drop targets will block off some lanes, providing an opportunity to test the Predator's mastery of avoiding detection. * Close Combat: A powerful Predator is capable of fighting adversaries up close with an array of sharp, deadly weapons, but may choose to gather allies to aid in his battles. The player must help the Predator either find ten allies by hitting green human drop targets or kill ten humans/Xenomorphs by hitting red human drop targets or Xenomorph drop targets. * Trap Aliens: Predators make good use of traps to capture their prey. The player helps the Predator master his Alien-trapping device by controlling it in the mini-playfield, rotating it to catch balls popping from the walls of the mini-playfield. 19 of such balls will be launched and the player must catch 15 in order for the trap to be deemed effective. Attempting all five main missions will unlock a final mission titled Worthy Prey, which begins once the ball is shot into the center hole. This mission provides a final test to the Predator: defeat an Alien to be ready for the Hunt. A second ball is brought into play while the Alien figure on the right side of the table leaps across to the Predator, who then grabs it by the neck and lifts it up in the air. The player must shoot six lit lanes to land the needed blows on the Alien to defeat it. Once the Alien is defeated, a four-ball victory multiball will start and jackpots can be claimed by shooting lit lanes. Side modes The following modes can be activated during play: *'Alien Frenzy': If the player hits the two glyph targets on the collapsible barrier, it will lower and make it easier to hit the Xenomorph at the mission sinkhole. Within a brief time limit, the player must hit it as many times as possible as a large score dwindles down from 1 million to 100,000. Each successful hit awards whatever amount of that bonus score remained at the time. *'Ally or Foe': The Predator can gather more allies to corral the Xenomorphs or kill more humans who try to interfere with the Hunt. Shooting the left orbit several times to light all sections of a blade will begin a time-limited mode where the player can gather more allies through hitting green human drop targets or earn more hunting trophies by hitting red human drop targets to keep the Hunt working as intended. It ends once time is up, ten allies are found or ten hunting trophies are slain. *'Ancient Story': Sebastian de Rosa, the last member of the team to be killed in the expedition, finally learns about how the Predators have organized Hunts in ancient civilizations to kill Aliens bred by humans sacrificed through their brutal reproduction methods, as well as how they use a self-destruct system to ensure the hunted do not overpower the hunters. If the player shoots the mini-orbit four times, de Rosa will begin to explain the truth behind the Hunts to Woods, and the player will need to shoot a certain sequence of lanes to help him recount his findings. *'Constellation': The pyramid can be reconfigured and recalibrated to display symbols and communicate with Predators across the galaxy. If the ball is shot through the turntable four times, it is eventually locked into a saucer and taken inside the toy model of the pyramid in front of the backglass. The player must now race against time to rotate the towers so that they match a certain combination of symbols shown on one face of the pyramid's spire. The player chooses which tower to rotate with the flipper buttons and taps the launch button to rotate the chosen tower. The faster the mini-mode is finished, the more points will be awarded. *'Pathfinder': To be a master hunter, the Predator must familiarize himself with the constantly changing passage routes of the pyramid. He will have an opportunity to hone his navigational skills if the player shoots the left ramp five times, with the fifth shot opening a trap at its base that locks the ball inside. The player must complete the navigation exercise by shooting the center sinkhole twice as well as the lane right of it and the right ramp three times. *'Seek and Destroy': The Predator must excel at finding his prey and the player can initiate an exercise in finding Aliens to kill by shooting the right orbit several times to light up all sections of a blade. The goal here is to race against time to find and kill five Aliens, one by one, by shooting a certain lane that is not revealed unless the player hits targets on the collapsible barrier to expose the lane where the Alien is hiding. *'Stalker': To excel in taking Aliens by surprise, the Predator must master the art of stalking an Alien while invisible. The Predator will have a chance to hone his surprise attack skills if the player hits the center sinkhole five times. The player must then shoot five lit lanes within a time limit, but must avoid hitting certain targets, as it would produce a loud sound that would give the Alien target a chance to find the Predator and escape. If that happens, the player must shoot the center sinkhole within ten seconds before the Alien finds the Predator and turns tail to disappear once again and continue stalking the target. *'Trap Frenzy': The Predator can further hone his Alien-trapping skills to be a worthy participant of the Hunt. After the bumpers are hit enough times, the ball will go to the trap mini-playfield. The player must rotate the trap device with the flippers to catch the ball as it pops out of holes in the mini-playfield walls, and can focus on building streaks of successful captures for increased bonus points. *'Wrist Blade Frenzy': The Predator can master one of his deadliest weapons - the wrist blades - to cut down his adversaries. If the player hits the wrist blade target besides the right ramp and mini-flipper several times, a time-limited mode will begin where Alien and human drop targets will appear throughout the table that can be knocked down with the ball under the Predator's famous thermal vision system. Hitting the wrist blade target once again will instantly destroy any and all standing drop targets at once. Multiball There are three multiball modes that can be activated: *'Egg Crasher Multiball': When the Hunt goes out of control, it is possible to reduce the chance that the Aliens can overpower the Predators by wiping out the numerous eggs laid by the Queen. The player can start a quick, two-ball multiball mode involving the destruction of eggs by locking two balls in the magnetic saucers in front of the Predator. Once two balls are locked there, Alien Eggs will appear throughout the table that can be destroyed for bonus points with the two balls that are then launched back into play. *'Pyramid Multiball': Each time the ball is shot through the Orbits, or the mini-orbit, the towers of the toy pyramid model towards the back of the table will rotate. If they end up aligning in a particular position, a lock will be lit at the center of the sinkhole. Locking three balls through this procedure will initiate a 3-ball Pyramid Multiball. Jackpots can be collected by shooting lit lanes or hitting the Xenomorph at the mission hole. *'The Three Yautja Multiball': The pyramid in Antarctica is managed by three Predators named Celtic, Chopper and Scar. The player can start a three-ball multiball in their honor by shooting the right ramp 9 times, three for each Predator. Then, the player can juggle the three balls and shoot lit jackpot lanes for extra points. Perks During play, the player can earn the following perks: *'Predator Rank': The Predator must ascend through the Yautja ranks and prove himself to be a superior hunter. Ascending through each rank will grant various scoring benefits, namely a permanent increase to the amount of points earned for jackpots, combos and successful completion of modes. To increase in rank, the player can a) raise the score multiplier past 5x, b) gather a total of 50 allies or c) complete missions successfully. The current rank will be displayed on the score display. *'Allies': Predators do not kill every human they see, and can even choose to ally with them honorably. The player can gather allies from the Ally or Foe side mode and the Close Combat main mission and can also gain bonus allies from completing missions successfully or as prizes from the random award. Earning 10 allies will activate the mission saver, while earning 50 allies will raise the Predator rank. *'Mission Saver': If the player earns 10 allies, the Mission Saver will activate, increasing the amount of time given for the next mission that starts. *'Plasma Charge Score Multiplier': The plasma caster is one of the Predator's most reliable weapons, and it can be made stronger for deadlier effect. The player can increase the strength of the plasma caster and the score multiplier by hitting the bumpers such that they make one full 360-degree rotation. Maxing out the score multiplier will award an extra ball, but it will only be good for the current ball unless a multiplier hold is earned from random awards. *'Random Award': Spinning the spinner at the left orbit 50 times can grant a random award, which may be extra points, ball save, kickback, extra allies or hunting trophies, an extra ball, a multiplier hold or a Pyramid Multiball lock. *'Spinner Score': Spelling YAUTJA on the return lane rollovers will increase the amount of points earned for every spin of the random award spinner, although this will reset if the ball is lost. *'Passageway Kickbacks:' The pyramid's changing routes can also reveal escape passageways that can be used to evade Aliens. If the player executes a 3-way combo, then hits the lit kickback targets (either the left glyph target for the left kickback or the wrist blade target for the right kickback), a diverter kickback will open up to save the ball from draining into an outlane. When it is used, it will simply divert the ball into the nearest inlane, so the player must be prepared to use its nearby flipper to prevent an unexpected ball drain. Kickbacks will stay on until they are used. *'Ball Saver': The ball saver will activate at the start of balls or multiballs and will also remain active during the Vertigo mission. Outside of these events, the ball saver can be reactivated by earning it from the random award spinner. *'Extra Ball': Extra balls can be earned by getting one from the random award spinner, attempting three missions, hitting the Xenomorph at the mission hole 50 times, destroying a total 100 Alien Eggs in the Egg Crasher Multiball or maxing out the score multiplier. Awarded Extra Balls can be claimed by hitting the wrist blade target. Tips *Be familiar with the various ways you can bring the ball to the mini-flipper, as this is crucial for starting the main missions because they require hitting the Xenomorph at the mission sinkhole, which is most feasibly done with a cross shot with that mini-flipper. The left orbit is one of the easiest shots to pull off that can take the ball there. *In addition to providing access to the mini-flipper, the left orbit will also spin a spinner that occasionally grants you a random prize that can help you greatly. So be sure to shoot the left orbit very frequently. *Once activated, kickbacks will stay on until they are used, and they are not hard to activate. Just execute a 3-way combo, then hit the correct kickback target to activate a kickback. External links *Official table trailer *Table walkthrough by ShoryukenToTheChin (PDF) Category:Aliens vs. Pinball tables